Robert E. Lee Monument (Richmond, Virginia)

"Statue of Robert E. Lee (Richmond, Virginia)" redirects here. For the statue in the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, see Statue of Robert E. Lee (Valentine).

Robert E. Lee Monument
The monument in 2013
Robert E. Lee Monument (Richmond, Virginia) is located in Virginia
Robert E. Lee Monument (Richmond, Virginia)
Robert E. Lee Monument (Richmond, Virginia) is located in the United States
Robert E. Lee Monument (Richmond, Virginia)
Location1700 Monument Ave., jct. of Monument and Allen Aves., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates37°33′14″N 77°27′36″W / 37.55384°N 77.46012°W / 37.55384; -77.46012
Arealess than one acre
Built1890 (1890)
ArchitectPaul Pujol (pedestal)[2]
SculptorMarius Jean Antonin Mercié[2]
DemolishedSeptember 8, 2021 (removal of statue), February 2022 (dismantling of pedestal)
Part ofMonument Avenue Historic District (ID70000883)
NRHP reference No.06001213[1]
VLR No.127-0181
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 5, 2007
Designated NHLDCPDecember 9, 1997
Designated VLRSeptember 6, 2006[3]

The Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond, Virginia, was the first installation on Monument Avenue in 1890, and would ultimately be the last Confederate monument removed from the site.[4] Before its removal on September 8, 2021,[5] the monument honored Confederate Civil War General Robert E. Lee, depicted on a horse atop a large marble base that stood over 60 feet (18 m) tall. Constructed in France and shipped to Virginia, it remained the largest installation on Monument Avenue for over a century; it was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2006.[6]

After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the controversial monument was covered in graffiti, and many activists called for its removal.[4][7] Ralph Northam, the Governor of Virginia, ordered the statue removed on June 4, 2020, but was blocked by a state court pending the outcome of a lawsuit. The state court ultimately ruled in Northam's favor in October 2020, but the decision was again put on hold pending appeal. The Supreme Court of Virginia heard oral arguments in June 2021,[8] ruling on September 2 that the restrictive covenants from 1887 and 1890 were no longer enforceable, and the monument could be removed by the state;[9] the bronze sculpture was removed from its plinth six days later.[5] The vacant plinth was dismantled in February 2022, and now no trace of the monument remains on its original site.[10]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SmithsonianCatalog was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Lawler, Andrew (August 9, 2020). "The Black, Millennial Mayor Who Tore Down His City's White Monuments". Politico. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Schneider, Gregory S.; Vozzella, Laura (September 8, 2021). "Robert E. Lee statue is removed in Richmond, ex-capital of Confederacy, after months of protests and legal resistance". Washington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference VAnom1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Force, Thessaly La; Lescaze, Zoë; Hass, Nancy; Miller, M. H. (October 15, 2020). "The 25 Most Influential Works of American Protest Art Since World War II". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Jackman, Tom (June 8, 2021). "Residents ask Virginia Supreme Court to keep Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ Lavoie, Denise; Rankin, Sarah (September 2, 2021). "Gen. Lee statue can be removed, Virginia Supreme Court rules". ABC News. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  10. ^ "Richmond's remaining Confederate monument pedestals to be removed this week". WTVR. February 1, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.